Bells, Brass & Bows Program Notes
Christmas Overture, Op. 74, No. 1 (~1910)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Publication 1925
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor occupies a distinctive place in British musical history. Born in London in 1875 to an English mother and a father from Sierra Leone, Coleridge-Taylor embraced what he described as his “Anglo-African” identity at a time when racial prejudice shaped both social and professional opportunities. His music, however, transcended such barriers, earning admiration on both sides of the Atlantic for its lyrical richness, craftsmanship, and emotional directness.
Christmas Overture began as music for a fairy-tale play called The Forest of Wild Thyme by poet Alfred Noyes that was never produced. After Coleridge-Taylor’s death, conductor Sydney Baynes assembled the surviving music into the concert work heard today. The Overture contains several well-known Christmas tunes, including “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “Good King Wenceslas.” However, the Overture is more than just a collage and contains a notable amount of original material as well.
Unfortunately, Coleridge-Taylor died at age 37 due to pneumonia before he could fulfill his musical potential. Despite widespread acclaim, Coleridge-Taylor had received little financial reward for his success and died in relative poverty. Following his death, public outrage about his unfortunate position contributed to the establishment of Britain’s Performing Rights Society, an organization designed to ensure that composers would receive compensation for performances of their music.
Christmas Overture is scored for two flutes, oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings.
The Messiah (1741)
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Premiere: April 13, 1742 | Dublin, Ireland
Few pieces of music are as closely associated with the Christmas season as Handel’s Messiah. Although the work tells a much larger story—from Old Testament prophecy through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—it has become a holiday tradition for audiences around the world. At the center of its popular reception stands the iconic “Hallelujah” Chorus, a movement whose exuberant proclamation has become synonymous with celebration itself.
Born in Halle, Germany, in 1685, Handel built an international career that led him first to Italy and ultimately to London, where he settled permanently in 1712 and later became a British subject. By the 1740s he was one of England’s most celebrated musicians, renowned for his operas and large-scale vocal works. As public tastes shifted away from Italian opera, Handel increasingly turned to the English oratorio, a genre that combined the dramatic power of opera with sacred subject matter and concert presentation.
Handel composed the entire oratorio in just a few weeks during the summer of 1741. Premiered the following year in Dublin, it quickly became one of his most successful works. The libretto was assembled by Charles Jennens from passages of the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter. An invitation from the Duke of Devonshire, then serving as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, prompted Handel to premiere the work in Dublin in April 1742, where it was met with immediate acclaim.
The “Hallelujah” Chorus is associated with one of classical music’s most enduring traditions: audiences often rise to their feet as it begins. According to legend, King George II stood during an early London performance, prompting the entire audience to do likewise. Whether the king was actually present—and, if so, why he stood—remains a matter of historical debate. Yet the custom was firmly established by the mid-eighteenth century and continues today.
The Messiah is scored for two oboes, two trumpets, timpani, violin, viola, basso continuo, SATB chorus, and soloists.
For Unto Us a Child is Born
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9, v.6)
And the Glory of the Lord
“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40, v.5)
Hallelujah
“Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (Revelation 19, v.6); “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11, v.15); “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19, v.16) “Hallelujah!”
Selections from The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (1892)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Ballet Premiere: December 1892 | St. Petersburg, Russia
Since its premiere in 1892, The Nutcracker ballet has become a timeless winter classic and an annual tradition for many families. Based on the E. T. A. Hoffmann tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” the story tells of a little girl who receives a nutcracker as a Christmas gift and her subsequent dream-like journey through fantastical lands. Composed near the end of Tchaikovsky’s life, The Nutcracker followed two earlier ballet masterpieces, Swan Lake (1877) and The Sleeping Beauty (1890), which had established the composer as one of the foremost innovators of nineteenth-century ballet music.
The ballet premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in December 1892. While the production itself received a mixed reception, audiences immediately embraced Tchaikovsky’s score. The composer’s gift for memorable melodies, vivid orchestral color, and lively dance rhythms helped the score take on a life of its own.
The short vignettes of different magical lands, coupled with featured roles for children throughout the ballet, offer delight for young and old. Tchaikovsky’s now-ubiquitous score is melodic, rich, and uncomplicated. The combination of fantasy, wholesomeness, and enduring musical quality have made The Nutcracker an accessible and favorite ballet for both seasoned patrons and first-time attendees.
The Nutcracker ballet is scored for flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, and strings.
12 Days of Christmas
Arr. Catingub
The 12 Days of Christmas traces its origins to an English carol and nursery rhyme first published in the late eighteenth century. Structured as a cumulative song, each successive verse builds upon the previous one, creating an increasingly elaborate catalogue of gifts bestowed by a “true love” over the twelve days of the Christmas season.
Although the text dates back much earlier, the melody most familiar to modern audiences stems from a 1909 arrangement by the English baritone, composer, and music educator Frederic Austin. His version standardized many of the musical features and textual details that have become synonymous with the carol today.
12 Days of Christmas is scored for a pops orchestra.
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
2nd Day: Two turtle doves,
3rd Day: Three French hens,
4th Day: Four calling birds,
5th Day: Five golden rings,
6th Day: Six geese a-laying,
7th Day: Seven swans a-swimming,
8th Day: Eight maids a-milking,
9th Day: Nine ladies dancing,
10th Day: Ten lords a-leaping,
11th Day: Eleven pipers piping,
12th Day: Twelve drummers drumming
Christus Natus Est (2015)
Rosephanye Powell (b.1962)
Among today’s most frequently performed American choral composers, Rosephanye Powell is known for music that combines lyrical beauty, expressive depth, and spiritual insight. Widely published, performed, and recorded, her works often engage themes of faith, justice, and human dignity.
Christus Natus Est was composed in 2015 for the 106th Annual Christmas Carol Services of the Memorial Church, Harvard University. In the work, Powell sets a text by poet Countee Cullen, a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Rather than presenting a purely celebratory vision of Christ’s birth, Cullen juxtaposes the joy of the Nativity with the stark realities of poverty and human suffering. Powell’s setting amplifies the text’s emotional and spiritual power, transforming a familiar Christmas story into a meditation on humanity, mercy, and the continued relevance of the Nativity’s message.
Christus Natus Est is scored for orchestra and SATB chorus.
In Bethlehem
On Christmas morn,
The lowly gem
Of love was born.
Hosanna! Christus natus est.
While beasts in stall,
On bended knee,
Did carol all
Most joyously:
Hosanna! Christus natus est.
He was not born
For bird and beast,
But suffered scorn
To save the least.
Hosanna! Christus natus est.
Who lies in ditch?
Who begs his bread?
Who has no stitch
For back or head?
Hosanna! Christus natus est.
The manger still
Outshines the throne,
Christ must and will
Come to his own.
Hosanna! Christus natus est.
Concert Suite from The Polar Express (2004)
Alan Silvestri (b. 1950)
Premiere: October 13, 2004 | Chicago International Film Festival
Since its release in 2004, The Polar Express has become a holiday favorite for many families. Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 beloved children’s book, the story follows a young boy’s magical journey aboard a mysterious train bound for the North Pole. Infused with themes of friendship, courage, faith, and the spirit of Christmas, the film was praised by many, described as “enchanting” and “haunting.” However, many find the animation style unsettling, venturing into the “uncanny valley,” a concept describing the unsettling feeling people experience when a humanoid object closely resembles a human but is not quite realistic enough. Animation aside, the music from The Polar Express plays a critical role in enhancing the film’s storytelling, immersing viewers in its magical world that complements the story’s theme of wonder and adventure.
The film’s score was composed by Alan Silvestri, whose long collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis also produced memorable music for films such as Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away.
Concert Suite from Polar Express is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano, and strings.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1949)
Arr. Hayman (b. 1920)
Written in 1949 by songwriter Johnny Marks, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was inspired by a story created a decade earlier by Marks’ brother-in-law, Robert L. May, for the Montgomery Ward department store. Originally conceived as a promotional booklet, the tale of a young reindeer whose unusual glowing nose ultimately becomes his greatest strength quickly captured the public imagination.
The story reached an even wider audience when Gene Autry recorded Marks’ song in 1949. The recording became an immediate sensation, reaching No. 1 on the charts by January 1950 and establishing Rudolph as a permanent fixture of the holiday season.
Rudolph is scored for a pops orchestra.
Christmas Movement from A Charlie Brown Christmas Suite (1965)
ince Guaraldi (1928-1976)
A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired in 1965, bringing Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters directly into viewers’ living rooms along with the distinctive jazz sounds of pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi. Eschewing the lush orchestral scores typical of television specials of the time, Guaraldi created an intimate, sophisticated soundtrack that captured the humor, innocence, and gentle melancholy of Charlie Brown’s search for the true meaning of Christmas.
Rather than relying on a large orchestral soundtrack, Guaraldi used a small jazz ensemble, creating a sound that was playful, intimate, and sophisticated. The music quickly became as beloved as the television special itself. More than half a century later, the soundtrack remains one of the best-selling and most influential jazz recordings ever released. Its enduring popularity has earned it induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame and inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry as a work of exceptional cultural and historical significance.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Suite is scored for a jazz combo with orchestra.
Toy Symphony (c. 1760s)
Attributed to Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Long associated with Joseph Haydn—the celebrated “Father of the Symphony”— the whimsical Toy Symphony has puzzled musicologists for generations. While it has traditionally been attributed to Haydn, some scholars have suggested that it may have been composed by his younger brother, Michael Haydn, while others have proposed Leopold Mozart (the father of the more well-known Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) as its creator. More than two centuries later, the true authorship remains a mystery.
Whoever wrote it, the composer clearly possessed a playful imagination. Alongside strings and trumpet, the work calls for an assortment of toy instruments, including a toy trumpet, ratchet, drum, triangle, and bird calls imitating the cuckoo, quail, and nightingale. These unexpected sounds are woven into a three-movement symphony that delights in surprise, humor, and theatricality.
Toy Symphony is orchestrated for trumpet, toys, and strings.
Fantasia on Greensleeves (1934)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Premiere: September 27, 1934 | Queen’s Hall in London under the direction of Vaughan Williams
Throughout his life, Ralph Vaughan Williams worked to preserve England’s folk-song heritage, collecting traditional melodies from singers across the countryside before they disappeared from common use. Fantasia on Greensleeves grew out of music he originally wrote for his 1928 opera Sir John in Love. The work centers on the famous tune Greensleeves, familiar to many audiences as the melody of the Christmas carol What Child Is This? Vaughan Williams surrounds the melody with delicate orchestral colors and pairs it with another traditional tune, Lovely Joan. Gentle, nostalgic, and unmistakably English, the piece has become a seasonal favorite and offers a moment of quiet reflection amid the excitement of the holiday season.
Fantasia on Greensleeves is scored for two flutes, harp, and strings.
Glow (2013)
Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
Composed for the World of Color Honor Choir, Glow premiered as part of the World of Color – Winter Dreams production at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. The honor choir consisted of more than 700 singers from across the United States, creating a uniquely large-scale choral collaboration.
Rather than depicting Christmas directly, Glow captures the quiet magic of winter itself. Poet Edward Esch’s text paints a scene of softly falling snow, birdsong, and the first light of morning, while Whitacre surrounds those images with the rich harmonies and shimmering textures that have made him one of today’s most popular choral composers.
Glow is scored for string orchestra and SATB chorus.
Softly falls the winter snow,
whispers to the sleeping world below:
“Wintertide awakes,”
morning breaks and sets the earth aglow.
In gentle tones of warmest white,
Proclaim the glory of Aurora’s light.
Sparrow wings in a clear clean voice,
a sweet, silver carol for the season born.
Radiant wings as the skies rejoice,
Arise and illuminate the morn.
Softly falls the winter snow,
whispers to the sleeping world below:
“Glow, like the softly falling snow.”
Edward Esch, b.1970
Silent Night (1818)
Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863) Arr. Gould
Silent Night originated in Austria in 1818. Its text was written by Father Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest, who brought the poem to schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber on Christmas Eve and asked him to compose a melody for that evening’s Mass. Gruber completed the setting in time for the service, creating a simple and heartfelt carol that would soon spread far beyond its humble beginnings.
Over the following decades, Silent Night gained popularity throughout Europe and eventually around the world. The English version most familiar today was published in 1859 by Episcopal priest John Freeman Young while serving at Trinity Church in New York City. With more than 137,000 known recordings, Silent Night remains one of the most recorded Christmas songs in history.
Star Carol (1971)
John Rutter (b. 1945)
Renowned for his gift for memorable melodies and luminous choral writing, English composer, arranger, and conductor John Rutter has composed numerous carols and sacred works that have become staples of the holiday repertoire around the world.
Written in 1971 for Sir David Willcocks and The Bach Choir, Star Carol quickly became a seasonal favorite. The work reflects Rutter’s characteristic blend of accessibility, warmth, and craftsmanship, drawing upon the rich traditions of English church music while maintaining a distinctly modern voice.
Star Carol is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, timpani, percussion, harp, strings, and SATB chorus.
Sing this night, for a boy is born in Bethlehem,
Christ our Lord in a lowly manger lies;
Bring your gifts, come and worship at his cradle,
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
See his star shining bright
In the sky this Christmas night!
Follow me joyfully;
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
Angels bright, come from heaven’s highest glory,
Bear the news with its message of good cheer:
“Sing, rejoice, for a King is come to save us,
Hurry to Bethlehem to see the son of Mary!”
See his star shining bright
In the sky this Christmas night!
Follow me joyfully;
See, he lies in his mother’s tender keeping;
Jesus Christ in her loving arms asleep.
Shepherds poor, come to worship and adore him,
Offer their humble gifts before the son of Mary.
See his star shining bright
In the sky this Christmas night!
Follow me joyfully;
Let us all pay our homage at the manger,
Sing his praise on this joyful Christmas Night;
Christ is come, bringing promise of salvation;
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
See his star shining bright
In the sky this Christmas night!
Follow me joyfully.
Sleigh Ride (1946-1948)
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)
Premiere: May 4, 1948 | Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler
Few pieces capture the joy and excitement of the holiday season as vividly as Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. Best known for his long association with the Boston Pops Orchestra and conductor Arthur Fiedler, Anderson specialized in writing music that was clever, entertaining, and immediately appealing. His compositions often transformed everyday sounds into musical effects, such as ticking clocks or tapping typewriters.
Ironically, Sleigh Ride was not inspired by a snowy winter landscape at all. Anderson began composing the piece during a summer heat wave, imagining a cheerful horse-drawn sleigh gliding through fresh snow. The result is a musical journey filled with vivid sound effects and infectious melodies. Throughout the work, listeners can hear the jingling of sleigh bells, the rhythmic clip-clop of horse hooves portrayed by temple blocks, the crack of a whip, and even playful horse whinnies from the trumpets.
Premiered in 1948, Sleigh Ride quickly took its place as one of the most beloved orchestral holiday works ever written. Its popularity extends far beyond the concert hall and it remains a staple of seasonal radio programming. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has repeatedly recognized Sleigh Ride as one of the most frequently performed Christmas compositions in the United States.
Sleigh Ride is scored for two flutes, two clarinets, two oboes, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, percussion, and strings.
A Holly & Jolly Sing Along
Arr. Stephenson
A Holly & Jolly Sing Along brings together all the most beloved Christmas tunes in one work.
A Holly & Jolly Sing Along is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, strings and SATB Chorus.
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O’er the hills we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
A day or two ago
I thought I’d take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
The Holly and the Ivy
The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O, the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing in the choir
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
Jolly old Saint Nicholas
Lean your ear this way
Don’t you tell a single soul
What I’m going to say
Christmas Eve is coming soon
Now, you dear old man
Whisper what you’ll bring to me
Tell me if you can
When the clock is striking twelve
When I’m fast asleep
Down the chimney, broad and black
With your pack you’ll creep
All the stockings you will find
Hanging in a row
Mine will be the shortest one
You’ll be sure to know
Johnny wants a pair of skates
Suzy wants a sled
Nellie wants a picture book
Yellow, blue, and red
Now, I think I’ll leave to you
What to give the rest
Choose for me, dear Santa Claus
You will know the best
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of snow, but the children know
How he came to life one day
There must have been some magic in
That old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
Oh, Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye saying don’t you cry
I’ll be back again someday
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Over the hills of snow
Up on the Housetop
Up on the housetop reindeer pause,
Out jumps Good Old Santa Claus.
Down through the chimney with lots of toys,
All for the little ones Christmas joys.
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go?
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go?
Up on the housetop, click, click, click,
Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
“Rudolph, with your nose so bright
Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You’ll go down in history”
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin,
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!